Watch Paul Nicholls' Ditcheat Diaries: Kalif du Berlais stars as yard returns to winning ways

• Kalif du Berlais the pick as yard starts winning again

• Paul Nicholls excited about No Drama This End

• Betfair ambassador reviews runners and reveals what's next

Watch Paul Nicholls' Ditcheat Diaries

Paul's Ditcheat Diary 🗒️@BetfairBarry caught up with @PFNicholls to chat through recent winners, next likely targets and the week ahead. pic.twitter.com/twwObf8tsp

-- Betfair Racing (@BetfairRacing) January 5, 2025

For Paul Nicholls 2025 got off to a winning start when Kalif du Berlais delivered a brilliant run to win a novices limited handicap chase.

Paul said: "I was very impressed by Kalif du Berlais at Cheltenham on New Year's Day. He travelled and jumped and did everything we wanted from him."

Could the Arkle be an option for him at the Cheltenham Festival?

"There are plenty of options for him," said Paul. "He is progressive. If the ground was very testing, the Arkle could be interesting.

"He could have three options. There is a race at Windsor in two week's time that's worth quite a lot of money but it could be very testing. Then there is Warwick, the Kingmaker Chase on 8 February or there is the Game Spirit at Newbury on the same day. That has been a good race for novices and four-year-old. I would like to run him in one of those races."

No Drama This End wows at Warwick

No Drama This End lit up Warwick on New Year's Eve with his victory in a bumper and Barry was keen to find out what will be next for the five-year-old.

Paul said: "I was very pleased with him. I thought he was next year's horse but wow, that was a good performance. I don't think there has been a standout performer in bumpers this season.

"I am definitely going to enter him at Cheltenham. He is relaxed, easy to ride and will stay on strong up the hill. He will run in one more bumper then he will be novice hurdling in the autumn."

Ditcheat spared worst of UK weather

Adverse weather decimated UK racing across the weekend but Paul said Ditcheat had emerged unscathed so far.

"We have no snow at all and it is mild this morning," he said. "We have had no problems whatsoever.

"Most of my horses are having a flu jab at the moment. It is a quiet time of year. But I have three to five to run this week - at Taunton on Wednesday, Huntingdon on Friday and Kempton on Saturday."

This is just a condensed summary of Paul Nicholls' Ditcheat Diaries. Watch the latest episode now and read his exclusive preview of his runners every week.

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